"Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  3614

Date:  08/13/1988

Debut:  86

Peak:  7

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  The Aussie band's sixth album, Kick, would end up being their biggest success reaching #3 in the US and selling over six million copies. The LP's first three singles would go Top 10 with them peaking in the order of release at #1 ("Need You Tonight"), #2 ("Devil Inside"), and #3 ("New Sensation"). Of course it would have been cool if this fourth single had peaked at #4, but it just missed out on that mark. Still, it was the band's fifth Top 10 hit in the US while also making it to #5 at Rock and #42 AC.

ReduxReview:  This waltzing track was a terrific follow-up to the band's previous rockin' hits. It was a sexy, hip swayin', bluesy tune that showcased a great vocal by Michael Hutchence and another good sax solo from band member Kirk Pengillly. Of course the best parts were the dramatic breaks. While not unheard of, those breaks of silence were not something commonly heard in pop hits. They added some cool dramatic flair. It really should have peaked at #4.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Despite this song reaching the Pop Top 10, the band's label chose not to officially release a fifth single. However, a pair of track from Kick would find their way on to the Rock chart via airplay. "Mystify," which was a single in the UK that got to #14, reached #17 on the US Rock chart. The title track would make an appearance at #33.  2) When director/writer Richard Kelly was putting together his 2001 sci-fi/psychological thriller Donnie Darko, he wanted to use this INXS song for the opening scene. However, with the film's budget quite low there wasn't enough money to gain the rights to use the tune. Needing something more budget-friendly, Kelly settled on "The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen. Donnie Darko was critically well-received, but it came out a few weeks after 9/11. The film's dark themes along with its trailer that showed a plane incident didn't help its box office fortunes and it pretty much tanked on its first run. However, the movie started to gain a cult following after its release on DVD. Soon it became a midnight movie staple and eventually it recouped its costs. The cult success led to Kelly releasing a director's cut of the film in 2004. At that time he was finally able to secure the use of "Never Tear Us Apart" for the opening scene as he had originally wanted.

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